"What do you mean!" The high-pitched, frantic call resounds again.

Lady Amelia presses her face to the cold bars, reaching her fingers out towards King Lucien's expressionless face.

"That's no longer my responsibility to answer. Your husband will be arriving soon enough." The King murmurs, disappearing into the darkness. Only the glow of the lamp light upon the slip of paper remains of his ever being there.

"No, that can't be right! Mother! Father said he was arranging my marriage, no?" Lady Amelia whirls around and settles next to her mother, who shakes her head, biting her lip.

"I raised you as the perfect noblewoman, the Queen's Candidate. The King wouldn't, he wouldn't throw you away so easily.." Dame Gertrude wraps her thin arms around her daughter, lost in thought.

The answer lay before them, in the item the King left behind. But neither of them wanted to see what was on that slip of paper.

Giggling, the older woman holds her daughter even tighter to her bosom. "I understand now! It's a test! To see if you're worthy of becoming Queen."

Soft fingers stroke through Lady Amelia's golden hair. Her mother whispers "The paper is the final notice, to tell you that you've passed."

She giggles again, as if she could no longer see the cell they were detained in. "Isn't it wonderful, my daughter?"

Pushing her mother away from her, Lady Amelia settles herself back on the cot. "Mother, keep your wits about you. You know-"

Lady Amelia freezes in shock as another set of footsteps resound into the dungeons. This time, the sounds were uneven, of someone coming down, one step at a time.

Seeing the familiar red hair yet again, Lady Amelia jumps up into another curtsey. The King had come back!! So Mother was right, and this was only a test. She sighs in relief, preparing another beaming smile.

"Welcome back, My-"

"I must say, my brother does strike a good bargain"

A bright white cheshire-cat smile looms out of the darkness.

---------

Sera's warm yellow silk skirts swish against her legs, each step reminding her to keep her head held high. The muslin dress she'd worn with bright pops of embroidered flowers was not formal enough for a meeting between noblewomen.

Meeting with the noblewomen? Sera was neither a royal by birth or by marriage, not counting the contract marriage she'd had with Lucien. While she focused on keeping her steps light and even, her nostrils flared, breathing deeply to keep up with her unusually brisk pace.

Steps echoed out behind her as an entourage of maids followed. Among them was Fawn, positively glowing with pride, though her lips were sucked in, eyebrows furrowed in a serious manner. She'd been repeatedly warned by Bea to not cause any incidents. Fawn and her clumsiness was well-known among the castle servants.

Bea stayed behind, not trusting the maids after the previous fiasco of the young prince going missing. And Sera didn't want Leo going near the vicious noblewomen, especially when his last experience seeing her bullied by Lady Amelia had made him cry.

Which reminded her..Lady Damar...

Her heel double-taps against the stone floor of the castle hall.

It sounded familiar..

Sera had heard that name before, in that encounter with Lucien's so-called fiancee. Who was it? One of Lady Amelia's entourage?

The sight of stern Hilda awaiting before the doors of the Blue Room makes Sera correct her posture again. The blue room was a light, airy room where the walls were papered with a light blue shaded damask paper, an ornate fleur-de-lis pattern drawing the eye in.

"Good morning, Hilda."

"The ladies await you, Miss-"

"ahem!" Behind Sera, Fawn interrupts Hilda's cold welcome.

"......M'lady" Hilda corrects herself with an expression as if she'd just drunk the most bitter medicine in the world.

Sera almost freezes again, but stops herself, nodding slightly to Hilda. Curious, she glances at the glacial grey eyes, trying to find out how Hilda saw her now. Had Lucien said something to the castle servants? No one looked her in the eye when she passed them now, bowing at the sides of the halls as she passed. Were things going back to the way they had been, when she was Queen before? Surrounded, yet alone. Giving the best in food, clothing, and lodging, but forced to pose as an empty figurehead, a womb to birth an heir.

Shivering, she rubs her shoulders. No things were different now. Lucien and Leo were by her side.

"M'lady?"

Hilda's brows furrowed, gaze turning even colder at the woman lost in thought before her.

"Pardon me." Hilda flinches with Sera's apology, taking a step back even as Sera rolls her shoulders, stretching out her neck.

Blinking, Sera's gaze refocuses on the painted doors of the Blue Room. No matter how similar things were to the past, Sera was different now. Lucien was different. She was his Queen, and he'd given her full authority.

When Sera continues forward, Hilda returns her bearings and opens the door for her.

In a matter-of-fact tone, she announces: "Lady Duncan of Earth"

Ba-thump.

Sera ignores the nervous thump in her chest, gazing out upon the noblewomen who all rise from their seats, awaiting her entry. The airy Blue Room had been set out with multiple round tables at which the noblewomen sat, with flower arrangements surrounded by trays holding small snacks and teas laid out for them to enjoy.

Yet not one teacup was used, nor did any plate hold any delicacies, let alone a biscuit. And the noblewomen themselves looked very different. Tightly coiffed ringlets and buns were gone, replaced by loose braids. Their makeup was much lighter, only doing the bare minimum of coloring their brows and lips, but revealing the dark circles under their eyes.

For the first time ever, Sera had overdressed for an occasion, more put together than any woman there.

And their dresses!

Sera keeps her face blank as she enters the room, hiding the shock that was sunk in as more and more strange details registered in her mind

Some of them were still in their nightgowns.

The sound of a great many chairs scraping against the floor makes Sera pause, watching in utter confusion when the noblewomen, instead of waiting for her to take a seat at the table-

All gather together in front of her, a mousy brown-haired woman in the lead. If someone told her to pick out Lady Damar from the group, Sera would be unable to answer. The identity of the woman still remained foggy in her mind.

With red-rimmed eyes, they draw closer and closer, rooting Sera to the floor as she does her best not to lose her composure. While the crowd of upset women in the nightgowns come before her.

And- dropped to their knees, clutching at her skirts while the maids behind Sera tried to pull her away.

"M'lady, we beg of you, save us!!!!"